Hinged mounting for control members of aircraft



J. MARTIN Jan. 22, 1946.

HINGED MOUNTING FOR CONTROL MEMBERS OF AIRCRAFT Filed June 6, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet l P J. MARTIN. W? o/mwgs fit J. MARTIN HINGEDMOUNTING FOR CONTROL MEMBERS OF AIRCRAFT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jur xe e, 1942 Jan. 22, 1946. J. MARTIN 2,393,547

HIN GED MOUNTING FOR CONTROL MEMBERS OF AIRCRAFT Filed June 6, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 22; 1946. .1. MARTIN 2,3 7

HINGED MOUNTING FOR CONTROL MEMBERS OF AIRCRAFT Filed June 6, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 :y/ T V v m/anim IMARTIN QWL Jan; 22, 1946. J. MARTIN 2,393,547-

HINGEED MOUNTING FOR CONTROL MEMBERS OF AIRCRAFT Filed June 6, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 25 25 5E. 31-; r I). c

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P21" & gbtorneys Patented Jan. 22, 1946 HINGED MOUNTING FOR CONTROL MEMBERS OF AIRCRAFT James Martin, Higher Denham, near Uxbridge, England Application June 6, 1942, Serial No. 446,137 In Great Britain February 26, 1942 I 3 @laims.

This invention relates to an improved manner of mounting ailerons and the like and also an improved form of hinge for such purpose. I'he present methods of hinging ailerons to the Wings of aircraft entail protracted and complicated operations in mounting and removing the ailerons, and especial care has to be taken to ensure proper coaxial alignment of the hinge elements of an aileron and the connection of the control elements thereof to ensure smooth working and absence of strained joints. The chief object of this invention is to provide a manner of mounting an aileron or like mounted control member and a form of binge by means of which a sturdy and simple form of connection is made between comprises a lever arm pivoted between its ends to means adapted to comprise a normally permanent fixture on the wing, one end ,of said lever bein adapted to project into-the wing for connection to a control or balance weight, and the other end of the lever comprising a spi ot adapted to be readily detachably engaged in a relatively solid or fixed manner in a retaining member in the aileron and to be fastened solidly or rigidly in relation to said retaining member without interfering with the connection of the lever arm to its controlling means or balance aileron and wing or other equivalent parts which obivates the necessity of disassembling the hinges or of interfering with the aileron or equivalent controls when removing an aileron or like member and also enables an aileron or like member to be fitted and removed very rapidly by the simplest of mechanical operations without upsetting the alignment of the hinge axes or the adjustments for mass and aerodynamic balancing. Another object of thi invention is to provide a. form of hinge and bracket therefor which can be fitted by a simple operation as a unit to a wing or other appropriate part independently of the aileron or the like so as to simplify assembly, and

a still further object of the invention is to pro- 80 vlde with such a hinge means for self-aligning co-operation with another like hinge for the alleron or the like. Although the inventionrwill be described hereinafter as applied to an aileron it can under suitable conditions be applied to flaps, elevators and rudders.

In this invention the manner of mountin a hinged control member of aircraft such as an aileron, flap, elevator and rudder (hereinafter referred to as an aileron), consists in fitting the aileron readily detachably. to the oscillatable parts of the aileron hinges'which are actuated from the controls so that said parts remain connected to the wing intact with the remainder of the parts of the hinges without interfering with the connection to the controls when the aileron is removed, and without disassembling the hinges. This manner of connection is such that when, as is usual with ailerons, mass balancing is adopted, the balancing means is not interfered with when detaching the aileron, so that proper mass balancing is ensured when replacing the aileron.

weight.

The said spigot is preferably a tapered or coned head on the appropriate end of the said lever, the said retaining member on the aileron having a tapered socket to receive the spigot and screw or other means is provided for clamping the spigot in the socket. As an alternative the sockets may be provided on the movable parts of the hinges and the ailerons may carry the spigots to engage therein, clamping screws being provided to secure them together.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into eflect drawings are appended hereto illustrating an embodiment thereof, and-wherein:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic broken perspective view showing the aileron detached from the wing.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the aileron broken away or opposite sides of both of the hinges.

' erence to Fig.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view to a larger scale of one of the aileron hinges.

Fig. 4. is a part sectional plan view of Fig. 3.

' Fig. 5 is a section on the line Biz-ta of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is avdetail sectional elevation showing the fitment on the aileron which receives the appropriate hinge member at the inboard end of the aileron when the aileron is connected to the wing.

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view of Fig. 6 the upper half of this figure being a section on the line lo-la andthe lower half a section on the line lb-lb of Fig. 6, and Figs. 8 and 9 are views similar to Figs. 6 and *7 respectively of the outboard hinge the appropriate sections of Fig. 9 being on the lines Bat-9a and Eli-9b of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings by the reference numeral i and the aileron by the reference numeral 2. As will be seen by ref- 1 the aileron is detachable from two spigots 3, and these spigots comprise the trailing ends of two levers 4 which oscillate on a common axis between two pairs of angle the wing is indicated 'thatthelevers lwillbe brackets 5 fixed to the rear face of the rear spar 6 (or other convenient part) of the wing I, The only mechanical operation required to free the aileron for removal is the removal of a nut I (see Fig. 2) from each spigot 3,-and access to such nuts is facilitated by the provision in the aileron of two rectangular apertures 1 in the base of the aileron, such two apertures normally being closed by cover plates 9 and being located in juxtaposition to and beneath the rear ends of the said spigots 3 which are threaded as at 3a to receive the nuts. Firm location of the ailerons on the two spigots 3 is ensured by tapering or coning each spigot as shown and forming 9. correspondingly tapered aperture it in each metal block H fixed in the aileron and adapted to form sockets to receive the spigots, each nut 8 with its washer abutting against the rear face of each block H.

The two levers 4 carrying at their rear ends the spigots 3 can be adapted at their front ends to balance or partly balance the mass of the aileron, and each has a widened central part 4b apertured cylindrically to receive a ball bearing l2 forming an anti-friction fulcrum or pivot, the centre ring'of the bearing [2 being disposed about a centre bolt 13 also passed through the appropriate pair of angle side brackets 5, the lateral trol means whether or not the aileron is attached to the wing, so that the mounting and removal of the aileron does not aifect the setting of the controls and also the pivots of the levers will be correctly located at all times and will not be liable to be upset by unskilled or negligent work flanges of which are secured by bolts I! to the rear face of the rear spar 6 or other convenient part of the wing, which spar is cut away as at (4 to receive the lever 4, such bolts I! also passing through stiflening angle brackets l I riveted to fore and aft ribs II inside the wing. The front end of each lever 4 is apertured as at 4a or otherwise adapted to receive the usual control cable or rod and any necessary balance weights. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the inboard lever 4 is adapted to be connected to theaileron control and the outboard lever is intended to carry a balance weight. The side brackets 5 are eted by flanged ends to the brackets 5. these bridge pieces also aflording some protection to the bearings l2 andif desired actingas stopsfor the lever 4 to limit the movements of the aileron. Distance piece collars II are interposed between theballbearingandthesidebracketsband stifiening plates 8b are riveted to these brackets.

To compensate for any slight misalignment of theaxesoi'thetwohingesconnecting the aileron tothewingtheballbearlngs flareofthe self. aligning tvpeftheixouter races being radiused as at in (see Fig. 5). Also to ensure thatthe lever 4' is correctly pomtioned in relation to the rearsparofthewingandalsoinrelationtothe aileron particularly laterally in relation to the wingortheaileron andalsotoservensaquick guide as to the proper way of replacing the aileroneachsocket memberllintheaileronhas fixed in relation thereto a. resilient U-shaped plan with the axis of the aperture II, and when assembling the hinge and aileron, this clip is adapted to engage as a close'sliding fit with a lug22fromtbelever4inpmximity braced by upper and lower bridge blues. I 9 rivin afiixing and removing the aileron. Also the engagement of the spigots 3 in the socketed blocks ll provides a solid connection between the levers and the blocks, the blocks ll being rigidly fixed in the aileron.

This rigid fixing of the blocks II can be effected by end flanges-23 thereon being fixed by rivets 24 to angle brackets 25 which are also secured by rivets 26 and locating bolts 26a to a spar or frame member 21 of the aileron, these latter rivets also securing a pair of flanged cheek plates 28 to the aileron frame or spar member 21 so that they may co-operate with another pair of like cheek plates 29 in securing side panels 30 of a bay 3| in the front edge of the aileron to 'accommodate the lever 4, rivets 32 securing the two pairs of cheek plates together. A reinforcing frame 33 strengthens the rim of this bay in the skin of the front edge of the aileron.

In addition to the simplicity and sturdiness of the beforesaid construction of hinge there is the advantage that once the mass balancing has been fixed there is no necessity to interfere therewith with removing and amxing an aileron so that the predetermined centre of gravity of the aileron can be maintained. In this connection the invention can be adopted for pivotally supporting elevators, rudders, or flaps, an advantage particularly with rudders being that by mounting the hinge on the fin structure the aerodynamic balance of the rudder once fixed will be maintained inthe same manner as the mass balancing of the ailerons.

A control member such as an aileron, elevator, rudder or other part mounted in accordance with this invention may be readily removed for repair, inspection or replacement without interfering with the adjustment or proper working of the hinge connection or oi the operating controls or any balance weights or other devices which may be provided. The operation of demountins and remountingdnsileronorotherpsrtisgrestly simplifiedandtbeseoperafionscanbeveryquick- 'awingofansircraftwhichpermltsrapiddea. locating clip 2| subiac'ent to and symmetrical in toitsfulcrum. Eachclipllhssfinredfreeends.

asshowuhal'ig'ltofacilitntecosreetmgsgementwltnthesppromiateluglt. 'lhisensures whichrecontachment of the control surface without dismrb ing the control mechanism or is for mas and I u a n l 10 balancing, mi 8, in combination, apivotsupportrigidlymountedon arearside otawingoftheaircraftintheform 'a nut, said tapered portion detachably inserted in and through and rigidly engaging a block fixedly I mounted on said control surface, said block having a tapered socket open at each of its ends adapted to snugly receive said tapered portion, a nut threaded on said terminal portion of the arm and abutting against the rear face of said block, a lug member depending from said rearwardly extending arm adjacent the fulcrum of the lever, a resilient U-shaped clip having flared free ends fixedly mounted upon said control surface subjacent to and in the vertical plane of the tapered socket in said block, adapted to slidably engage said lug. member when inserting said rearwardly extending arm in said socket, guiding said arm into the correct position, whereby actuation of said lever by said control means oscillates the control surface by causing the control surface and the forwardly and rearwardly extending arms of the lever to describe an arc about said pivot support.

2. A pivot mounting in accordance with claim 1, in which the pivot support comprises angle brackets whose lateral flanges are secured to the rear side of the wing.

3. A pivot mounting in accordance with claim 1,

in which the pivot support carries abutments adapted to limit the movement of the lever.

JAMES .MAR'I'IN. 

